Glenn Murray receives Europa Nostra prize 2009

The President-Founder of the FRIENDS OF THE SEGOVIA MINT Association, Dr. Glenn Stephen Murray Fantom, has been selected as a Grand Prize winner of the prestigious European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / EUROPA NOSTRA AWARDS 2009, with an award of 10.000 euros.  Murray has donated the prize money in its entirety to the Friends of the Segovia Mint Association.

The judges, presided over by Her Highness Doña Pilar de Borbon (Spain), selected Murray by a unanimous decision.  Murray was presented as a candidate for the prize by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Segovia, which has recently published his latest book explaining the technical and scientific reasoning behind the proposals that the Segovia Mint be declared "the world´s oldest, most advanced and complete industrial manufacturing plant still standing today", and a "Heritage of Mankind" monument. 

Dr. Murray has received the prize for Category 3:  "Dedicated service by individuals or organisations", which includes those whose contributions over a long period of time demonstrate excellence in the protection, conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage in Europe by the "Power of Example". The contribution is required to be of a standard which would be considered outstanding in the European context.  As explained in the dossier presented to Europa Nostra by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Segovia, Murray has been the primary force promoting the restoration of the famous Segovia Mint (1583), a unique treasure of the European Industrial Heritage, spearheading the initiative for over 21 years.  The Awards Ceremony took place in the spectacular Ancient Amphitheater of Taormina, in Sicily, Italy, on June 5, 2009, where Murray was accompanied by representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Segovia.

    

The Ancient Amphitheater of Taormina, in Sicily, Italia, venue for the Europa Nostra Awards Ceremony, on June 5, 2009.  Mt. Etna volcano can be seen in the background.


Click here to see:  PHOTOS OF THE CEREMONY
Click here to see:  VIDEO OF THE AWARDED PROJECT


Click on the above photo to see all the images of the ceremony and the text of Murray's speach.


Murray receives the prize handed to him by Her Highness the Infanta Doña Pilar de
Borbón, president of Europa Nostra. 

 
Statue and certificate of the Grand Prize.


Book of all the winning projects in .pdf

Official press release of the Chamber of Commerce of Segovia (8 May 2009).

Official press release of the Chamber of Commerce of Segovia (6 June 2009).

Names of the 28 prize winners  (14 mayo 2009).

The FRIENDS OF THE SEGOVIA MINT Association is a  member of HISPANIA NOSTRA

 

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The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards were jointly launched in 2002 by the European Commission and Europa Nostra, in the framework of the Commission’s Culture Programme, to celebrate outstanding initiatives among the many facets of Europe's cultural heritage in categories ranging from the restoration of buildings and their adaptation to new uses, to urban and rural landscape rehabilitation, archaeological site interpretations, and care for art collections. Also awarded are prizes for research, dedicated service to heritage conservation by individuals or organisations and education projects related to cultural heritage. 

This Awards Scheme aims to promote high standards and high-quality skills in conservation practice, and to stimulate the trans-frontier exchanges in the area of heritage. By spreading the 'Power of Example', the Prize also aims to encourage further efforts and projects related to heritage throughout Europe. 

Exemplary heritage achievements in Europe are awarded in the following four categories: 

Category 1:   CONSERVATION 
Outstanding achievements in the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage in the following areas:

Single buildings or groups of buildings in rural or urban setting. 
Industrial and engineering structures and sites. 
Cultural landscapes: historic parks and gardens, larger areas of designed landscape, or areas of cultural, environmental ad/or agricultural significance. 
Archaeological sites, including underwater archaeology. 
Works of art and collections: collections of artistic and historic significance or old works of art. 


Category 2:   RESEARCH 
Outstanding research which leads to tangible effects in the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage in Europe in any of the above-mentioned Category 1 areas. 


Category 3:   DEDICATED SERVICE by INDIVIDUALS or ORGANISATIONS 
Open to individuals or organisations whose contributions over a long period of time demonstrate excellence in the protection, conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage (relating to the above-mentioned Category 1 areas) in Europe. The contribution should be of a standard which would be considered outstanding in the European context.


Category 4:   EDUCATION, TRAINING and AWARENESS-RAISING 
Outstanding initiatives related to heritage education, training schemes in cultural heritage conservation, and programmes for raising awareness on cultural heritage. 


The EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards consist of two award levels. Up to six entries will be awarded a Prize, which includes a monetary award of € 10 000. Up to twenty-five entries will be awarded a Medal. 

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 OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
                                
             

The best European cultural heritage achievements awarded

The Hague, 24 April 2009

The European Union and Europa Nostra have selected 28 laureates for the annual "European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards" scheme. Of these, 7 Grand Prize winners have been selected and will be disclosed at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony on 5 June 2009. The Awards scheme is organised jointly by the European Commission and Europa Nostra, the pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage. 

Seven Grand Prize winners, chosen as the most outstanding heritage achievements from among 28 selected winners, will be announced at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony in the Teatro Antico of Taormina, Sicily (Italy) on 5 June 2009. The Awards highlight exceptional conservation, research and education efforts, as well as exemplary dedicated service in the cultural heritage field. Each top Prize winner will receive a monetary reward of € 10,000. 

The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards were jointly launched in 2002 by the European Commission and Europa Nostra, to celebrate outstanding initiatives within the field of Europe's cultural heritage in categories ranging from the restoration of buildings and their adaptation to new uses, to urban and rural landscape rehabilitation, archaeological site interpretations, and care for art collections. Also awarded are prizes for research, for education projects related to cultural heritage and for outstanding and dedicated service to heritage conservation by individuals or organisations. 

The Awards Scheme aims to promote high standards and high-quality skills in conservation practice, and to stimulate the trans-frontier exchanges in the area of heritage. By spreading the "Power of Example”, the Prize also aims to encourage further efforts and projects related to heritage throughout Europe.

These Awards are financed through the EU Culture Programme, which aims at promoting cross-border mobility of persons and ideas related to culture, encouraging the transnational circulation of cultural and artistic output and best practices, and fostering intercultural dialogue. 

This year a total of 138 awards entries, originating from 24 countries, were received in the various categories. They were assessed in situ by independent experts and the most outstanding of these were selected during a series of meetings which took place over the past months, by one of the four Heritage Awards Juries, each composed to best judge their specific category. 

A total of 28 entrants stemming from 15 countries have been chosen to win an Award. The names of these 28 Laureates, will be disclosed in a press release as well as on the European Commission and the Europa Nostra websites after mid-May 2009.

Only at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony in June, will the names of the 7 Grand Prize winners be disclosed and announced to the Laureates and to the public alike. 

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Europa Nostra, the Voice of cultural heritage in Europe, has as mission to raise awareness of the value of Europe’s unique and rich cultural heritage and to work to protect it for present and future generations. 

Europa Nostra is the representative platform of over 400 heritage organisations active throughout Europe and the voice of this vast movement of European civil society active in the field towards international bodies concerned, in particular the European Union Institutions, the Council of Europe and UNESCO. Europa Nostra is dedicated to putting heritage and its benefits in the mainstream of public consciousness and to making heritage a priority for public policies both at European and national levels. Its specific objectives are to promote, at a European level, high standards of quality in the fields of heritage conservation, architecture, urban and rural planning and to advocate a balanced and sustainable development of urban and rural, built and natural environment. 

Europa Nostra supports national and international campaigns for the preservation and rescue of Europe’s heritage at risk. It encourages exemplary initiatives in favour of the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage by recognising outstanding heritage achievements, in particular through the running of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards. Through its various activities, Europa Nostra seeks to highlight the importance of cultural heritage as a building block of European identity and as a contribution to the strengthening of the sense of European citizenship. www.europanostra.org 

2010
The Calls for Entries and the Requirements lists for the 2010 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards have been placed on the Europa Nostra website and can be downloaded.  Spread the news and encourage the entering of European Heritage Awards dossiers!  The deadline for submission of the dossiers is 1 October 2009.